BURLINGTON — Every Thursday from sun up to sun down, you can find the same group of friends playing the same game in the same spot.
“It’s my home away from home," Dustin Edwards said.
Every Thursday, Edwards and his friends go to Campaign Plus in Burlington to play Magic: The Gathering. It's a gaming shop that sells board games, trading cards, and hosts tournaments.
Edwards arrives at 10 a.m. and doesn't leave until 10 p.m.
"I made it so Thursdays are my off days, so I never work a Thursday," he said.
He shifted his work and life schedule, so he would never miss a moment here. And he's not alone.
“I told them I can not work afternoons on Thursdays just so I can get some time out here," Jordan Adams, another Magic: The Gathering player said.
About a dozen people have called their bosses to make sure they get every Thursday off, or at least half the day, so they can play Magic at Campaign Plus.
Watch the story on this Magical group of friends...
“I’ve seen this shop so busy on a Thursday that we’ve had people playing at every single one of these tables," Adams said.
The shop has been open on 208 E. Chestnut St. for almost three years. Since then, every Thursday has been the same.
“Usually we get close to maxing out which is about 32 seats," Steven Horner, the owner of Campaign Plus said.
Spells are cast, creatures attack, and magical moments happen every minute. It makes Horner proud to see the community space he has created.
“It gives you like that sense of like you’re doing something right that people are willing to take time out of their day and spend as much of it here as possible," Horner said.
Anyone is allowed to come to this weekly meet-up. Whether you have never played and don't have a deck or you're an expert, this meet-up is for everyone.
"Not everybody has the space or feels they have a safe space to go to to to be and play what they want, and who they are, and all that kind of stuff. So we pride ourselves on being extremely inclusive for, you know, everybody to come and play," Horner said.
So next Thursday and the one after that and the one after that, you’ll find players like Edwards and Adams playing Magic: The Gathering all day long.
“So I can meet the people and hang out with those that I love," Edwards said.
This might be a game, but the magic is real.
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